FROM THIS EPISODE

The once mighty United Auto Workers union is in the thick of labor negotiations with the Big Three auto manufacturers. How have the union's fortunes changed in recent years, and how is it trying to forge new relationships with auto manufacturers? The auto industry has long been intertwined with the story of Detroit. Guest host Sara Terry explores the impact the government bail-out of car manufacturers has had on the city's notorious decline. Also, is there another government shutdown brewing? On Reporter's Notebook, the King of Saudi Arabia has granted women the right to vote and run in future municipal elections, but how quickly will changes take place?

Banner image: Workers assemble General Motors trucks on the assembly line at the GM Flint Assembly Plant July 18, 2011 in Flint, Michigan. Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Washington is once again on the verge of shutting down the government in the midst of partisan politics over spending plans. The Senate is scheduled to take a test vote today on a stop-gap spending bill that includes money for disaster relief. Ezra Klein is a columnist for the Washington Post.

Negotiations between the United Auto Workers and the Big Three car manufacturers used to be something of an economic contact sport, with both sides going head to head. With talks underway once again in Detroit, last week the UAW struck a deal with GM that brought some gains for workers, but not nearly the kind of deals that the union wrangled in its heyday. How is the UAW dealing with a changed marketplace? What labor gains are possible in a post-bailout world, after government aid brought the auto industry back from the brink? What new economic landscape is emerging on the shattered streets of Detroit? Doom and gloom stories are still commonly reported, but what initiatives are taking shape to bring the city back to life?

Yesterday King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia granted women the right to vote and to run in future municipal elections. It's the biggest change in a decade for women in a notoriously conservative kingdom that enforces strict separation of the sexes -- and which still bans women from driving. What impact will women voters have on society? Marwan Bishara is a senior political analyst for Al Jazeera English, and the editor and host of Empire.